Korea Reserves in Months of Imports
Total reserves in months of imports FI.RES.TOTL.MO
Korea's reserves in months of imports was 4.8 in 2025, ranked 58th globally. This represents a 22.9% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1976–2025.
Overview
Korea's reserves in months of imports stood at 4.8 in 2025, a decline of +1.4 from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 4.8 by 2025. Korea ranked 58th globally.
Korea’s foreign‑exchange reserves covering imports stand at 4.82 months in 2025, placing the country 58th globally and just below peers such as Azerbaijan (4.84) and Poland (4.79). Over the 50‑year series the indicator rose from a low of 0.96 months in 1983, a trough that reflected the oil‑price shocks and limited export capacity of that era, to a peak of 9.40 months in 2020 when pandemic‑induced supply‑chain disruptions prompted a deliberate buildup of buffers. Since the 2020 high, reserves have gradually declined, falling to the current level that still exceeds the 1976 baseline of 2.36 months but remains well short of the peak. The downward trajectory suggests that, absent a major external shock or a sustained surge in export earnings, Korea is likely to maintain reserves in the narrow band around five months, providing modest protection against short‑term import volatility.
Data & projection
| Year | Reserves in Months of Imports | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 3.3 | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 4.1 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 4.8 | - | - |
| 2025 | 4.8 | −1.4 | #58 |
| 2024 | 6.2 | −0.1 | #31 |
| 2023 | 6.3 | +0.4 | #38 |
| 2022 | 5.9 | −1.6 | #41 |
| 2021 | 7.6 | −1.8 | #42 |
| 2020 | 9.4 | +1.7 | #36 |
| 2019 | 7.7 | +0.6 | #30 |
| 2018 | 7.1 | −0.4 | #30 |
| 2017 | 7.6 | −0.8 | #35 |
| 2016 | 8.4 | +0.5 | #29 |
| 2015 | 7.9 | +1.4 | #27 |
| 2014 | 6.5 | +0.3 | #32 |
| 2013 | 6.2 | +0.4 | #41 |
| 2012 | 5.8 | +0.4 | #42 |
| 2011 | 5.4 | −1.2 | #43 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Korea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2006. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw reserves in months of imports improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Korea's reserves in months of imports was 4.8 in 2025. Ranked 58th globally. This represents a 22.9% decrease from the previous year.
Korea's reserves in months of imports peaked at 9.4 in 2020.
The lowest reserves in months of imports in Korea was 1.0 in 1983.
Korea ranks 58th globally in reserves in months of imports as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is FI.RES.TOTL.MO. Data sourced from World Bank.
Korea's reserves in months of imports is projected to reach 4.8 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The reserves in months of imports of Korea in 2025 was 4.8. This ranks 58th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_korea_reserves-months-imports,
title = {Korea Reserves in Months of Imports},
url = {https://historysaid.com/korea/reserves-months-imports/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}